I Remorse Shopping for That $90 Travel High Chair. This is What I Ought to Have Purchased As an alternative

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I used to be shocked to find how few eating places even have excessive chairs. Not simply upscale spots, however “family-friendly” locations with children’ menus and crayons. Eating out with our six-month-old shortly grew to become anxious. She’d scream within the stroller or thrash in our laps, so eating out began to really feel like extra bother than it was value.

The apparent resolution was a journey excessive chair. And based on mates, coworkers, and principally each mother I knew, there was just one to get: the Inglesina Fast Table Chair. The $90 clip-on seat was imagined to be straightforward to arrange, straightforward to hold, and one thing we’d use in all places.

We didn’t.

The largest difficulty was how usually we couldn’t use it. Glass tables, thick lips, pedestal bases, tablecloths, abruptly half the locations we went had been off-limits. And when it did work, I by no means absolutely trusted it, which isn’t an important feeling mid-meal. The clamps both felt too tight on the desk or not safe sufficient for a wiggly child. My daughter additionally hated it, which didn’t assist. With no footrest to stabilize her, she was continually squirming and uncomfortable. And regardless of being marketed as “travel-friendly,” it was nonetheless cumbersome. Fine for the trunk, not superb for a carry-on.

It took a household journey for me to understand what I really wanted. A good friend pulled out the Hiccapop OmniBoost, principally a mini tenting chair for infants, in one of the best ways, popped it open, and strapped it onto a eating chair in beneath a minute. It was safe, secure, and didn’t rely upon the desk in any respect. It straps instantly onto a typical chair and has a large, sturdy base that retains it in place, even with a wiggly toddler.

That evening, the distinction was apparent. My daughter sat awkwardly in a rental excessive chair, whereas my good friend’s daughter was pulled proper as much as the desk. Feeding her was simpler, cleanup was simpler, and there was no outsized tray to cope with. I ordered one earlier than we even went to mattress.

Four years later, we nonetheless use it on a regular basis. It involves the seaside, the park, eating places, or wherever we want a dependable place to take a seat. It folds right into a compact bag and suits simply in a stroller basket. The tray is detachable and dishwasher-safe, which makes cleanup a lot simpler than coping with a full excessive chair setup. We even purchased a second one for Grandma’s home, and collectively they nonetheless value lower than the one Inglesina chair now sitting unused in my basement.

Your child wants a spot to take a seat, but it surely doesn’t should be sophisticated. If I might return, I’d skip the clip-on chair, seize the Hiccapop OmniBoost, and put that additional $50 towards a much-needed glass of wine at our subsequent household dinner.